When the Magic Ran Out
by disneyfananalyst
Summary: Oneshot. Ben's thoughts during "If Only". Revised, and hopefully improved.


**A/N: I know that this isn't what anyone is waiting for, but I decided to rewrite this. My standards have risen since I wrote the original, and it no longer met them. I hope that I will get an update out for my other stories soon, but I kind of used this revision to procrastinate my actual work so... hope you like it.**

 **My original** **A/N: After re-watching the movie and hearing tenor harmonies in "If Only" countless times, I wanted to take it from Ben's perspective.**

 **Disclaimer: Descendants is property of Disney Channel. I make no claim to own the characters, and have only written this only with love for Descendants and its characters. Thank you.**

* * *

"Are those little crowns on your shorts?"

"Maybe!" I roared before I jumped into the lake, and the last thing I heard before I hit the water was Mal laughing.

The cold water filled my ears as my head went under the surface, and the enchanted water wrapped around my body, washing away the love spell. Wait, what? Love spell? I felt my heart plummet, and pulled myself up to the surface. I swam behind a large, grey rock where Mal wouldn't be able to see me... or where I wouldn't be able to see her. I put my back against the boulder to try and stop the sinking feeling gripping my chest.

Mal love spelled me. How could I have been so naive? Maybe everyone was right. The villain kids can't be trusted. I can just hear Audrey's voice in my head. Audrey! I put my face in my palms as I realized what I did to her. She must hate me. I close my eyes as I remember her kissing Chad right afterwards. That should probably hurt. I feel even guiltier when I realize that it doesn't. I should feel terrible, but all I feel is relief. Now I feel really guilty. I dive back under the water feeling remorseful. What kind of a guy publicly dumps his girlfriend and only feels relieved when she immediately moves on to one of his best friends?

The lake is shallower here, and I reach the bottom quickly. I look around at the lake from under the water. Everything seems so clear from down here. If only my life was as clear as the water I'm swimming in. I pick up a glowing rock from the bottom. When I'm really honest with myself, I know that I had been planning on breaking up with Audrey anyway, I just hadn't had the heart to actually do it. She just couldn't understand me anymore, and I didn't really understand her. Not to mention that I'd been dreaming of another girl: Mal. Why would she spell me? I want to believe that she wouldn't do anything evil, but she did love spell me. Is there really a good reason to love spell someone? I head back up to the surface, but as my head breaks the water, I hear someone singing.

"*-my heart keep listening?

Cause up till now, I've walked the line,

Nothing lost, but something missing*"

I turn and peek back around the rock towards the voice to realize that it's coming from Mal. She leaned up against one of the pillars, probably assuming that she was alone.

"*I can't decide

What's wrong, what's right

Which way should I go?*"

 _Wow her voice is pretty,_ I think to myself. _No, Ben. You're mad_ _at her! She spelled you._ I watch her move away from the column.

"*If only I know what my

Heart was telling me

Don't know what I'm feeling

Is this just a dream?

Uh-oh

Yeah*"

I stare in awe, trying to understand what she's singing about. Then, I furrow my eyebrows. Maybe I shouldn't be listening. She might not want me to hear her if she thinks she's alone.

"*If only I could read the

Signs in front of me

I could find the way to

Who I'm meant to be

Uh-oh

If only

Yeah

Am I crazy?

Maybe

We can happen*"

Wait! What? She spins around and I worry that she'll see me and stop singing. If she noticed me she didn't care though, because she continues.

"*Will you

Still be

With me

When the magic's all run out?*"

What? Oh! Realization hits that she's singing about me! My heart feels ready to leap from my chest with excitement. She's worried that when the love spell wears off that I won't be with her anymore. She must have liked me, and thought that she needed the spell to make it happen. That makes sense! Right?

"*If only I knew what my

Heart was telling me

Don't know what I'm feeling

Is this just a dream?

Uh-oh*"

In my excitement from my realization, I decide to join her, singing a harmony with her.

"*If only

Yeah

If only

Yeah

If only

Yeah

If only*"

I drop out, and head back behind my boulder to lean against it. Now I don't know what to do.

"*If only*"

Did she hear me singing? Do I need to break up with her because of the love spell? I really don't want to, but what if I'm wrong? It's not like I can just ask her. Can I? I duck under the water one more time to clear my head, and when I rise I hear her calling my name frantic enough for it to echo against the rocks of the caves around us. I should probably go back so that she knows I didn't abandon her. I start to swim back when I hear a splash as I turn around the rock. I see her struggling to swim. Wait. She can't swim? I push off the rock and swim under her, picking her up bridal style and kicking the way back to the ruins where I had set up the picnic. She coughs up water as I set her down, but as she starts to breath again she hits my arm.

"You scared me!" I look at her incredulously.

"You can't swim?"

"No!"

"You live on an island!"

"Yeah, with a barrier around it, remember?" I stop, realizing how dangerous it really was for me to bring her here if she couldn't swim, how dangerous it was to leave her alone. She couldn't swim.

"And you still tried to save me," I think out loud.

"Yeah, and do you thank me? No. All I get is soaking wet!" Okay, now she's mad.

"And this fancy rock. It's yours." I hand her the shiny rock that I found earlier. I hadn't thought to drop it. "Make a wish, and throw it back into the lake." She huffs as she pitches it back into the lake, pulling herself up to walk away. I hurry out of the water to follow her, and grab my letterman jacket and a towel. I hand her the letterman jacket, and I drape the towel over my shoulders. She sits, so I join her. I already feel warm from seeing her with my jacket around her. She watches as I feel her purple hair in my fingers.

"Mal," I look down before facing her again, "I told you that I love you. What about you? Do you love me?" I want to hear her say it. I think she loves me. She did try to save me even though she couldn't swim. If she loves me, then my theory could be right. I won't need to break up with her. I know I already love her. Being here with her just feels so right. Like nothing I've ever felt before.

She looks away. That's not good. What if she doesn't love me back?

"I don't know what love feels like," she admits. What kind of life did she have before if she doesn't know what love feels like? I want to wrap her in a hug, but worried that will scare her off, I turn her face back towards me.

"Maybe I can teach you." She smiles, weakly, but it's still a smile. I'm not about to do anything about the love spell. Not yet.


End file.
